The award was first awarded in 1952 to Fisher's grandmother, Orabelle Fisher, who is turning 100 years old in March. She also attended the awards ceremony to see her grandson receive the award.

"Sometimes people will say that farming is in their blood, and I have seen the truth of that," Fisher said. "It's a passion. It's something you really want to have to do. … I think it is a really honest way to make a living — to feed the world and take care of the land."

Fisher grew up on a dairy farm near Valders and started owning his own dairy farm in Reedsville 10 years ago. He owns that farm, Riverside Dairy, LLC, with two other business partners. They have a herd of 800 cows — half of which are milked every day and the other half are youngstock.

In addition to the cows, Fisher takes care of 750 acres for crops — mainly corn and alfalfa — to feed the herd. All of his hard work and that of his employees results in almost 10 million pounds of milk each year. That milk is shipped to a Land O'Lakes processing plant in Kiel daily.

To achieve those results, Fisher and his eight employees milk the cows multiple times per day. In addition, they work to make sure the cows receive plenty of fresh water, clean air and a comfortable place to rest.

"We try to pamper them (cows) as much as we can because we ask a lot of them," Fisher said. "It's the best way — happy cows are going to be healthier and, in turn, you will reap the benefits that way and produce more milk."

Despite growing up on a farm, Fisher said his parents never pushed him to stay in the farming business, but he is proud to carry on the tradition.

"There is always a little voice in the back of your head that says 'keep trying hard,' so I can carry on that legacy that somebody else before me worked hard to give me that opportunity," Fisher said. "Now, I want to pass that forward and do that same thing for my sons someday."

Fisher's two sons help out around the farm and raise hogs each year for the Manitowoc County Fair.

"There is something to be said about working with your kids," Fisher said. "It's really awesome now. Even at their young age, they are starting to help me in the field. I get to take a step back and watch them and it is definitely a proud parent moment. … We can teach them respect and about ownership at a young age — that is huge. Every generation is a little different, but I think it is important, as a dad, to instill in them at a young age how to work hard."

Fisher said he encourages his sons to find out what opportunities there are before deciding to stay on the farm.

"There are so many great careers in agriculture outside of being a dairyman," he said. "I always encourage the kids to go to school and get an education. You can always come back to the farm, it will always be here. Just get out there and gain some experience."

However, if they do decide to carry on the family tradition, they would be the fifth generation of farmers at Riverside Dairy, LLC.